Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the carbon stock potential of church forests and their contribution to climate change mitigation. A stratified systematic sampling approach was utilised, and data were gathered from 60 sample plots using sampling quadrats of 15 × 15 m for large trees, 10 × 10 m for shrubs and 5 × 5 m for grassland areas. The diameter at breast height of trees was measured at 1.3 cm. The findings of this study revealed that in the semi‐arid agroecological zone, church forests had a total mean aboveground, belowground and total carbon stock of 76.6 t ha −1 (280.3 CO 2 ), 19.2 t ha −1 (70.4 CO 2 ) and 95.8 t ha −1 (350.8 CO 2 ), respectively. In the sub‐humid agroecological zone, church forests had a total mean aboveground, belowground and total carbon density of 12.4 t ha −1 (45.14 CO 2 ), 3.1 t ha −1 (11.37 CO 2 ) and 15.5 t ha −1 (56.51 CO 2 ). In the temperate highland agroecological zone, church forests had a total mean aboveground, belowground and total carbon stock of 11.2 t ha −1 (40.73 CO 2 ), 2.8 t ha −1 (10.27 CO 2 ) and 14.02 t ha −1 (51.01 CO 2 ). The mean aboveground, belowground and total carbon stock for the three agroecological zones were 33.4, 8.3 and 41.8 t ha −1 , respectively. A one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA; F = 3.54, DF = 2, p < .033) indicated a significant difference in carbon stock between agroecological zones. These findings underscore the important role of local carbon sequestration in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, supporting regional forest management and land‐use planning. They also demonstrate that indigenous conservation practices offer measurable environmental benefits, and that sacred natural sites can serve spiritual, ecological and climate‐related functions simultaneously.
Birhanie et al. (Tue,) studied this question.